New Traditions
by Aya Diefair
Summary: The only way to separate yourself from the old ways is to start something new.


**New Traditions**

 _22nd of September, 2009_

Autumn leaves covered the modest cottage grounds. The bite of winter echoed in the breeze. Dark clouds threatened to spit rain down upon the earth, but nothing could dampen the spirits of the couple that resided in the mansion.

A soft cry of a newborn baby cut the air. Draco gently rocked the infant in an attempt to soothe her while Astoria stepped away to retrieve a bottle the house elf was supposed to be preparing. She also went to fetch an excited Scorpius who she knew was not asleep like he should be, but it was expected. Today was a treasured moment for the small family. The final papers were signed and the last details were confirmed and closed. Draco and Astoria Malfoy were finally able to adopt the little girl who had stolen their hearts.

They had been wanting a second child since Scorpius was about a year old, but after the risky pregnancy Astoria had with him, and how difficult it was to conceive to begin with, the couple had dismissed the idea completely of trying for a second. The idea was simply set aside, and almost completely forgotten, until one fateful day when Astoria was on duty as the overnight mediwitch. A young woman came in carrying a basket of blankets that she immediately handed over to Astoria. She explained that she had found the infant behind the shop she worked at and didn't know where else to take the child.

The woman didn't wait around to be asked questions, wait for authorities, or even fill out basic contact information. She simply vanished as quickly as she came, leaving Astoria with a premature child who was barely hours old and needing medical care. The little girl was otherwise healthy, but desperately needed a home. She couldn't bring herself to take the tiny little baby to an orphanage, it didn't seem right to abandon her for a second time. So that very same night, Astoria made sure that she was the one to give her that home she needed.

" _Shhh_ , baby girl. You'll be alright," Draco cooed, gently stroking the girl's cheek.

Scorpius came in with his mother and climbed onto the sofa where his father was to peer over his arm at the baby he held. "Why she sad?"

Astoria handed Draco the glass bottle before sitting down beside him. She cuddled in close while he attempted to gently coax the baby to eat.

"She's hungry, sweetheart. She will be alright, though," Astoria assured, looking over at her son with a soft smile.

"Oh." The almost four-year-old observed in silence, transfixed by the baby's presence.

"What do you think of your baby sister, Scorp?" Draco asked, shifting a little bit so he could see her better.

Scorpius rubbed his nose a little. He thought she smelled odd, but he didn't want to be mean. "She looks squishy, and so small."

Astoria smiled at the comment. "You were squishy once too, dear."

"I know."

The room settled into a calm quiet as the new arrival eagerly ate. Her eyes soon drooped closed once the bottle was almost empty, so Draco carefully handed the baby to his wife for her to burp and finish rocking her to sleep. Scorpius scrambled over his father's lap to be able to continue to see his new sister.

"So she is ours? You two are her parents, now?" the boy eagerly asked.

Draco gave his son a quick squeezing hug, watching as Astoria focused on getting the new addition to the family to sleep.

"Yes, Scorpius. Little Lesath is officially a Malfoy."

Scorpius reached out and let his fingers lightly brush over her dark, baby fine hair. Lesath let out a little squeak from the contact before it formed into a yawn. The boy smiled fondly.

"She's so cute."

The two watched as the quiet hums from Astoria slowly lulled Lesath to sleep. Scorpius's head started to droop as well while he was curled up in Draco's lap. It was pretty late for him, the trip to the hospital to get Lesath took longer than anticipated while he was supposed to be asleep under the watchful eyes of Dizzy the elf. Gathering his son up in his arms, Draco slowly got to his feet, the weight of Scorpius taking more effort than he recalled to carry. Astoria stifled a giggle as she got up as well, allowing Draco to lead the way.

 **.oOo.**

Astoria cuddled up to Draco's side and released a soothing breath. Draco was looking up at the dark ceiling, lost in thought, as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her even closer. She shifted her head from his shoulder to his chest then, allowing his gentle heartbeat to further pull her into a blissful relaxation.

"I miss moments like this more than anything."

"Which one? The complete silence, or the sleep deprivation?" Draco whispered, smirking when she nudged an elbow at his side.

"No, silly. That moment of joy you feel when you did something right. It just feels good." Astoria explained, feeling her heart flutter as she spoke. "The moment I set eyes on Lesath I knew that we were destined to be the ones to offer her the love and nurturing she needed."

Draco hummed out a sigh while gently caressing her arm. "You have good intuition."

"It took very little effort to convince you to break tradition, too," Astoria teased.

"You say that as if we've never done that before," he quipped. "Besides, how could I say no to you while you held that beautiful little girl as you suggested the idea?"

She smiled mischievously regardless if Draco couldn't see it. "I knew that you wouldn't."

"Sly witch."

The couple settled into a comfortable silence. Sleep started to blanket the corners of their consciousness until the gentle squawk from the crib nearby roused Astoria.

"Mmm, I got her." She reluctantly wiggled out of Draco's embrace to tend to Lesath. "Dizzy?"

The quiet _pop_ announced the elf. "A fresh bottle, please."

Draco turned to his side to observe the beautiful scene in front of him. Astoria cradled the infant and sang a quiet song to calm her before tending to her needs.

"I can't wait to tell our parents about you, Leasth. They're going to adore you."

Draco wanted to tell her to not be so confident in their approval of the new addition to the small family, but he held his tongue. They didn't do it to appease or seek approval from anyone, especially their own parents. The fit they would have about it not being the pureblood thing to do wouldn't be the first time the couple heard those words from them.

Traditionalists the couple definitely were not; Astoria broke her betrothal for him, and he married her despite the extreme disapproval from his parents. They didn't want to live in Malfoy Manor and instead got their own home together. When they finally had Scorpius, the pair decided that his upbringing would be far different from theirs. And now they had adopted a newborn, which was definitely _not_ a pureblood custom. It didn't matter. They were happy and gave the love and attention needed for their family to continue to thrive.

* * *

 **Written for Round 7, Year 2 of The Houses Competitions**

 **Written for By Any Other Name Challenge April 2018**

 **House:** Hufflepuff

 **Category:** Short (500-2000 Words)

 **Prompt(s):** [Speech] "I miss moments like this more than anything."

 **By Any Other Name:** Fill 02

 **Representation:** Malfoys; Adoption

 **Bonus Challenge(s):** Found Family

 **Word count:** (Per Google Docs) 1,216

 **Beta(s):** Magi Silverwolf


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